Posted on Thu, Oct. 28, 2004
ANGELA K. BROWN
Associated Press
DALLAS - A federal employee union is calling for an investigation into why the Waco Veterans Affairs Regional Office held a training session led by a former George W. Bush campaign political volunteer linked to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
The American Federation of Government Employees, which has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, says retired Air Force Col. Ken Cordier's appearance violated a law that bans political activities at federal workplaces.
Several Waco VA employees said that before the training session last month, their boss told them Cordier would not discuss politics, said the union's attorney, Mark Roth. But after his presentation on POW issues, Cordier made disparaging remarks about Democrats that made employees of both political parties feel uncomfortable, Roth said.
"They said he started referring to scumbags who threw their medals ... and said he hated the Democratic Party since LBJ stopped bombing in Vietnam," said Roth, who asked the Office of Special Counsel to investigate earlier this week.
Cordier, who spent six years in a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp, gave his opinion when asked a question but never mentioned any political party, said Cynthia Church, a Department of Veterans Affairs spokeswoman in Washington, D.C.
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